Galway ‘Hawthorn’ in 2026
Connacht Hospitality Group has announced the forthcoming opening of "The Hawthorn by Galway Bay", a landmark hotel set to open its doors in early 2026.
Representing an investment of €60 million, "The Hawthorn by Galway Bay" will combine a world-class hotel, championship golf course, and experiential wellness spa on the edge of Galway Bay. It is located on a coastal headland near Oranmore.
The hotel is the realisation of a long-held vision first imagined by Christy O’Connor Jr., whose 1989 Ryder Cup heroics remain part of Irish sporting legend. Christy designed the original Galway Bay Golf Course in 1993, foreseeing the site as a global destination that would unite great golf and great hospitality. Now, thirty years later, and ten years after Christy’s passing, that vision is being brought fully to life by the Connacht Hospitality Group.
Over the past decade, the Group has gradually assembled the land, assets and expertise needed to transform the former Galway Bay Golf Resort into one of Ireland’s most ambitious hospitality projects. The redevelopment, which began with the restoration of the golf clubhouse in 2023, is now well underway and will create approximately 200 jobs through construction and operation. Once open, it will increase Connacht Hospitality Group’s workforce to over 700 people.
"'The Hawthorn by Galway Bay' is a hugely important project for the Connacht Hospitality Group," says Peter Fitzgerald, the group CEO.
"Hawthorn by Galway Bay" will feature 114 guestrooms, including 47 Junior Suites and 17 Penthouse Suites, several of which can be joined to create multi-generational family residences with private entrances. The hotel’s live-fire restaurant will be called "The Skylark", and "The Oyster Catcher" bar will offer views over the championship course and Galway Bay. Guests can also discover "The Chocolate Laboratory", "The Whiskey Room", and "The Wine Cellar", each designed as experiences for tastings and private events.
At the heart of the hotel lies "The Spa at The Hawthorn", an immersive wellness sanctuary featuring thermal and hydrotherapy zones, holistic treatment rooms, and restorative spaces. Outdoors, guests will enjoy walking and running trails, sailing experiences, and sea safaris along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Leading the pre-opening and launch is General Manager John Keating, an Irish hotelier with more than three decades of global luxury experience, most recently at Fairmont St. Andrews in Scotland. Dean Montgomery joins as Director of Golf, bringing world-class operational experience from renowned courses including Royal Liverpool and Yas Links Abu Dhabi.
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